Cheerful Hearts
by PriestessAmy
Summary: Two of the sweetest souls at Blackwell get close. Takes place in the alternate universe I created for Rachel is Here. RA is alive, Max and Chloe stayed in touch, Jefferson was arrested over the summer, and everything is mostly wonderful. Mostly.
1. Not Exactly Immaculate

It had been a few weeks since the start of the fall semester at Blackwell, and Kate really wasn't expecting any visitors. So, naturally, there was a gentle knocking at her door that caught her off-guard. She shrugged apologetically at Alice before setting her back in her cage, then went to open the door.

Max would have been a reasonable assumption. Maybe Chloe or Rachel. But she wasn't really expecting to see Dana of all people standing there. Not that she considered this a problem. Unlike Victoria or her friends, Dana was a popular girl with a heart of gold. She always had a kind word or a clothing tip for anyone who wanted it.

But what was she doing here now? Well, obviously Dana was ahead of her on that. She put her hand against her belly in the least-subtle example of body language since the middle finger, smiling bashfully. "Kate? Do you have a second to talk about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?"

The Christian girl blinked a few times in disbelief, trying to deal with Dana's terrible joke. When it still didn't make sense, she just smiled her best Kate Marsh smile and stepped aside, letting Dana into her room and closing the door behind her. "You always have time for me. What kind of person would I be to not return the favor?" Dana happily made herself at home, sitting on Kate's bed, so she joined her, noticing that the girl's hand still hadn't left her stomach. It was as though she was resting it there like some kind of charm to protect herself. "What's on your mind?"

Given her bizarre behavior, Kate half-expected Dana to try and circle around the issue. But she was never one for unnecessary conversation and launched right into it. "I did something really stupid, and I need the advice of someone I can actually trust."

Kate's heart gave a little flip, not entirely certain why Dana was coming to her then. She had Juliet, or even Max maybe. She was friendly with just about everyone! But here she was, slumming it with Jesus-girl. "I'll do my best..."

"I'm pregnant." She had said it so straightforward, so business-like that it caught Kate seriously off-guard. "This would only be marginally huge if it weren't for the fact that it's not Trevor's. I know you're not official or ordained or anything, but I just need you to play pastor for a minute and offer me the rite of confession or whatever."

"Those are priests, Dana, and I'm not Catholic. But I'll help in any way I can." Kate took in a slow breath, wanting to center herself before she just started talking off-the-cuff. "First, you have to talk to the, um, involved parties."

Dana gave a ragged laugh, for just a moment letting Kate see just how much pain she was actually feeling. Slowly, she reached over and placed her hand over top of Dana's. It seemed like she needed it. "Well, step one is taken care of then. Trevor freaked and I haven't heard from him in a couple days. And the father wants to play baby daddy, but I'm not having any of it. The reason I came to you is because..." Dana paused, collecting herself as best she could, but it wasn't super successful. "I'm a cheerleader and a Vortex club member. I'm in high school for Christ- f-for crying out loud! There's no _way_ I can have a baby. But I don't know anything about morality or what's right. So I just want to know if the mistake I'm choosing is the best one."

Oh dear. This was supposed to be a boring Thursday afternoon, just her and Alice. Kate didn't have the experience, the knowledge, or the strength of character to really make the call here. But Dana's hand was now gripping hers tight and it was clear that Kate didn't really have an option here. She could only pray that she would give her friend the peace she needed.

"I-I-I think that... you already know what it is you want. So if you felt compelled to do something other than that..."

Dana's grip loosened just a touch and she urged Kate to actually look at her. "You don't have to sugarcoat it, sugar. Just tell me what's on your mind. Or your... heart or whatever."

Right. Duh. "Whether you try to have the baby and raise it yourself, or even put it up for adoption, that experience will shape both you and it. There will be a degree of resentment there, a... a spiritual scar? I guess? Some people might say that getting an abortion is murder. I don't know what I believe, but I do find it hard to think that removing tissue is somehow that much worse than bringing a life into this world that would never get a proper childhood." It all sort of spilled out, and it felt honest, but that didn't mean Kate felt good about it. There were certain things you were supposed to believe, and not believing them made you a heathen. Was she betraying her faith by being so honest? Ugh, and why was she turning her friend's crisis into her own problem?

All drama aside, Dana seemed genuinely happy for the advice. She threw her arms around Kate and squeezed the life out of her. "Never let anyone tell you you're not brilliant or destined for greatness, Katie! That was fabulous, thank you thank you thank you~" Kate heard the sound of a telltale sniffle as Dana pulled back and stood up from her bed. "I owe you majorly for this. We should hang out some time." The two said their goodbyes, and Dana returned to her dorm, leaving Kate to snuggle with her rabbit again and contemplate her existence.

* * *

The moment in her room had initially seemed like the beginning and the ending of things. But apparently Dana really meant it when she said she trusted her.

Kate generally didn't expect to spend her Saturdays out partying and going crazy. But she also never imagined it would be spent hanging out with Dana while her friend went through the effects of the meds she'd been given.

Normally she was such a bright and peppy girl, but she had sent Kate that urgent text asking her to come by and check on her. Kate found Dana stretched out on her bed, groaning softly. Kate had missed the worst of it, but she still seemed to be less than pleasant currently. Seated in Dana's desk chair, she held her hand and watched Disney movies with her as the cheerleader occasionally complained. "Ugh, I thought 21st century medicine was supposed to fix all this stupid bullshit – sorry Kate. These fucking – sorry Kate – cramps are killing me. I'm never having sex ever again as long as I live..." Suddenly Dana went from groaning to giggling, slightly delirious. "Hey, at least you got a new abstinence club member, huh Katie?"

Kate attempted to laugh along, but the other girl's giggles soon gave way to soft whimpers. "Guess this is my punishment for killing a kid like a godless heathen..."

"Don't say that!" Even Kate was surprised by the passion in her response. "We're all just teenagers. A-Anyone who expects you to act like a saint is a jerk who doesn't... who doesn't know how the real world works!"

Dana looked at her with wide eyes before turning on her side and patting Kate's leg. "...said Katherine the Good, the literal saint of Blackwell."

"I-I'm not a saint, and I don't let anyone call me Katherine. I'm just... Kate." She really didn't need to bog down the suffering brunette with her self-esteem issues, but it just kind of slipped out.

Even with all the pain she was dealing with and her own mental stuff, Dana still managed to sit upright and look at Kate more seriously. She winced, but appeared to be powering through it. "You've been a saint to _me_ , anyway... In a hellhole like this, that's enough." That was all the energy and strength she had as she stretched out on her back once more with a long, impressive sigh. "Guess I owe you twice now..."

Kate gave the hand holding her own a quick squeeze, turning her attention back to the movie, unsure why this Moment had her blushing like she was. "Friends don't really have to keep track of that kinda stuff. Just don't forget about me when things go back to normal."

"Pretty sure that's impossible, Katie..." Dana said with another labored sigh, enjoying the music even if she couldn't see the screen.


	2. The Devil Within

_Stupid stupid stupid!_

Dana was an idiot and she knew it. She was the queen of being nice to people because it got her what she wanted. And now, like the worst piece of slime from the bottom of the pits of hell, she had turned her personality squarely on Kate Marsh because she wanted things from her. But unlike what she did with, say, Max or Juliet, this was about a hundred times worse. Because she had conned Kate into giving her pseudo-absolution and keeping her mind off the pain from those goddamn meds. It would be awful enough pulling her trick on Kate, but she was doing it because she liked her presence. She didn't just want things or favors from the girl – she wanted _her_.

Dana was, in short, tricking an innocent Christian girl into being her friend so that maybe some day she could get her in bed. You couldn't _possibly_ get shittier than that. Clearly she knew how horrible she was being, and yet still she found herself talking to Kate one night as September gave way to October about attending a Vortex club party.

Kate was understandably hesitant. "I-I don't know, Dana. I don't think it will be any surprise that I'm not much of a party girl. I'm more of a 'go to bed at ten' girl." Jesus, was she ever not adorable?

"I understand, Kate. I wouldn't want you to feel awkward or uncomfortable. But these parties usually suck, it's all just people getting drunk and high and being annoying. I would love it if just once I knew there was someone there I could depend on to not ditch me in favor of a guy or a bottle or a bong." _Laying it on a little thick there, Dana, stop sounding so pathetic._ She shrugged, attempting to put on a more casual front. "But seriously, you of all people deserve to take care of yourself. And I'd hate to think of Alice missing her mama all night."

"No, I think you have a point." Then she gave her that Kate Marsh smile, the one that she probably should trademark, the one that said that everything would be okay. Dana was really starting to like that smile. "I am still a high schooler after all. I should probably try to be a normal one, once in a while. Just promise me the same applies to you? No ditching." Kate had a way of being 'stern' that was super not-scary but still garnered a million times more dedication than someone like Victoria just yelling at you.

Coincidentally, Dana had recently learned the term "Pyrrhic victory" in her English class, and it felt like it applied here. She had convinced Kate to go out with her to a party. Well, not **go out** , but they would be attending together. Yet she couldn't help but think 'at what cost?' Kate could be charmed away from her simple life by the evils of alcohol and drugs. God forbid (perhaps literally) it be Dana that end up seducing her the most.

So that was how she found herself on a Friday afternoon perusing Kate's wardrobe trying to find something that would fit the party scene. Well, that was a generous description. It was more like she was looking for something that wouldn't stand out too horribly. Kate actually did have a collection of dresses, mostly dowdy, but finally she located one or two that seemed like they might work.

Dana passed them back to Kate and was in the process of leaving when the girl stopped her. "Y-You don't have to go. I mean, y'know, don't stare or anything. But I feel like it would be kind of annoying for you to constantly leave and come back..." Dana sat down hesitantly on Kate's bed, feeling the return of that sensation that she was taking severe advantage of her friend. Even trying to give the girl plenty of space, she could see movement and some pale skin in her peripheral vision before Kate had gotten herself into the first outfit, a plain black dress. "I'm not so sure about this one. I only wore it once, to a funeral. Is it okay to switch like that? Does it look like a funeral dress? Or did I wear an overly-cute dress to a funeral?"

God, even her fretting was precious. "It's a perfectly nice dress, Kate, regardless of what it was used for last time. I like it, but go ahead and put on the other, just to be sure"

The other was a baby blue sundress, not really much better when it came to party attire. Cute as hell, but not really the right thing for a Vortex shindig. She tapped her chin thoughtfully as Kate stood there looking like a deer in headlights. Finally, proper inspiration struck and she went to the girl's dresser without hesitation and started rooting through it.

There was one more exchange of clothes before Dana diverted her attention to a very interesting spot on the wall. It seemed to take ages, but finally Kate gave a little relieved sigh. "Wow, Dana, you're a genius. You really have an eye for this kind of stuff..." Dana looked up, delighted and only very slightly turned on to see Kate dressed down in jeans, a black tank top, and an open plaid button-up. It wasn't the most impressive outfit, but on someone like Kate who always looked so perfect, it was eye-catching.

"You're right. I _am_ a genius. You look super hot, Katie~" The heat on Kate's face was delightful, but she had to make one last push. "First, though, to complete the look..." She moved over and carefully tugged Kate's hair out of its trademark bun until it unraveled into a mane of gorgeous poofy awesomeness. "Perfect."

* * *

Considering this was supposed to be a massive failure, Dana's plan to bring Kate out to party was actually kind of a success. Obviously Kate was never going to emerge from her shell and go crazy. But she had chatted with a few people and had consumed the equivalent of a single glass of wine. Even Victoria wasn't completely horrible to her. Dana suspected that losing Nathan in the Jefferson-debacle had forced Vic to recognize the need to be kind to more than one person.

In fact, it was Kate's idea that they do some dancing. Oh my god, this should be good. If Kate was as awkward a dancer as she suspected her to be, it would be a joy to watch, and somehow she would still manage to have fun. The girl grabbed her hand, dragging her across the dance floor, already bopping in time to the music. Maybe she didn't bump or grind or dance dirty like a normal teen, but she was giggling brightly, infectiously.

Dana's hands went above her head, eyes closing, as she started to sway. Since she wasn't watching, it was a bit of a surprise to feel Kate's hands come to rest on her hips. It was a comforting feeling – Kate was a comforting girl. It was easy to pretend that this wasn't her fault, to pretend that she wasn't an awful human being who was tricking yet another decent person into liking her.

Then, the song ended, replaced with a slow-jam. Because of course. Dana opened her eyes, preparing to lead Kate away from the crowd of students. Surprisingly, Kate's grip actually tightened slightly and she moved in closer until her head was resting against her chest. Dana was glowing as she let her arms wrap around Kate's shoulders. This was exactly as warm and lovely as she wanted it to be, and that just made her feel all the worse. It seemed as though all eyes were on them, but naturally everyone was too involved in their own stuff to really pay too much mind to them. All except for a few curious voyeurs, but who cared about them.

That all changed when the song came to an end, going back to the more high-octane stuff. Rather than separating, they pressed in closer, both of the same mind apparently. And their lips connected, to the cheers and applause of some of their peers. Dana and Kate both ignored them, though that didn't mean they didn't know it was happening. It wasn't the deepest kiss in the world, but it lingered for quite some time. When their self-consciousness got the best of them, they meekly disappeared through the front door and made a beeline for the dorms.

Standing there in the hallway outside Kate's room, neither of them really knew what to do with themselves or what to say. Dana eventually broke the thick silence, expecting at any moment her friend might come to her senses and tell her never to pull that kind of stuff again. "So... Um, thanks for coming with me tonight. I had a really great time. But... I understand if maybe that was a little more than you were expecting."

Kate stared down at the floor, rubbing her arm, and now Dana was certain that she had completely fucked up. "It was... nice... But I'm a little worried about everyone else..."

 _I've done it. I've forced her into having a crush on me. I am the literal devil._ In spite of her doubts, Dana hugged Kate gently with a little sigh. "I'm sorry. That was definitely too much. I should have been more careful." The tiny girl hugged her back a little tighter and nodded slowly.

"But aside from me being ridiculous, it really was a lot of fun. And I guess maybe some time we could do it again, something a little more private so I won't be such a weirdo?" Kate's kindness made Dana feel horrible, but she would have felt worse denying her what she wanted.

Dana kissed her cheek gently and smiled as she finally pulled away, unsure how long the embrace went on for. "Only if you promise to stop talking about yourself like that. It's normal to be nervous about what others think." _And it's also normal to think you're an asshole, but let's not talk about that._ "Next time will be safer. G'night, Katie~" She offered Kate a wave and hurried down the hall to go hide in her room and not think about anything.


	3. Kate's Vid

Kate groaned as the sound of her ringing phone brought her out of the deepest, most pleasant sleep she'd had in a long time. From what she understood, this wasn't a hangover, but she did still feel... spin-y. It wasn't the sound for her alarm, too early for that; it was her ringtone. She reached out and grabbed it up with feeble hands, fumbling to slide the little green phone icon as her eyes caught the word "Mom" on the screen.

"Hey, mom, what's-? Wh-... Slow down. Please, I can't... Facebook? Not today... Um, yeah, Taylor's pretty co- A video? Me and..."

She quickly hung up the call, then after a moment's hesitation she shut her phone off completely. The obvious choice was to go see Taylor and get the video taken down. The video of herself and Dana, dancing and kissing. Looking at it on her laptop, it was pretty clear that she had done so in a misguided attempt at support – judging by the sheer volume of heart emojis and textual squealing. Kate commented on it in an attempt to convince Taylor to take down the video, then curled up on her bed again.

She knew she ought to go to Dana, or at least to see someone like Max who always seemed to know the right thing to say. But for whatever reason, rational thought wasn't really getting through properly. It was all over, because of a stupid decision. And worse, she had dragged Dana into it. True to form, she didn't blame Taylor, or anyone really, just herself. She had entertained some dangerous ideas, and now it was blowing up in her face.

Her mother, her church, her classmates. Everyone would think she was gay now! Well, theoretically she was. But she wasn't supposed to be. Yet Kate had always been under the impression that you knew when you were doing something wrong, and being around Dana felt right. Either her detection skills were off or there was something not adding up here.

There were way too many strong feelings hitting her at the moment, and while she wanted to try and cool off, she just didn't know how. In spite of herself Kate began to whimper and cry softly. If she turned on her phone to contact someone she might be completely overwhelmed by messages from her mother. Same with her computer. And she definitely didn't feel strong enough to go see anyone. Their well-meaning love for her would just end up a burden, even Dana, especially Dana.

The tears continued to fall as she hugged her pillow to her chest, trying to keep the actual noise she made to a minimum. The only thing that could have made this situation worse was if someone came to her instead, trying to cheer her up.

* * *

Dana knocked gently at Kate's door, feeling the panic welling up. Initially she had seen the video and thought it was incredibly cute. Her and Kate Marsh looked damn good together. But then she noticed that Kate had already commented on it, said she wanted it taken down, didn't want people to see it. She went to Taylor's room only to find that her friend was conveniently MIA. Victoria responded to the incessant banging on her friend's door and huffed. "Sorry lovebird, but she's at a thing with her parents. She'll be back later tonight. I would imagine you and Kate could find plenty of ways to keep each other occupied until then?" She chose to not justify that with a response.

Initially, Kate's door was just as unyielding. She received no reply to her knocking, but she thought she could hear something inside the room. Dana gently placed her open palm and her forehead against the wood and sighed. This was exactly and precisely what she had feared would happen. She had gone into something carelessly, selfishly, and now someone who didn't deserve it was suffering.

"Katie...? Please, I need you to open up. Because I have things to say. And I would rather not do it in front of the entire girl's dorm through a door. Please?" There was another heavy silence, but finally the lock clicked and she swiftly ducked into the room. Both girls practically leapt into each other's arms, hugging tightly. There was a chorus of "I'm sorry" from both of them, which was what finally caused Dana to snap out of it, pulling back an inch or two, to look at her in shock. "Wait, this is all _my_ fault, why are _you_ sorry?"

" _You're_ fault, this... this is _my_ fault!"

The air was heavy with silence between the two of them for a few seconds. And then, like that, in sync they started laughing, giggling without restraint. Kate's arms went around Dana's back, pulling her in again, and the laughter slowly turned to a soft kiss. It was hard to compare it to the previous evening's kiss, but as far as she was concerned this one was way better.

Finally Kate guided her visitor over to sit on the edge of her bed, keeping a tight hold of her hand. "I don't really understand what happened here... Especially what makes you think this is somehow all on you."

Dana sighed and a painful sensation spread through her chest. The second she saw how much Kate wanted that video taken down, she knew she would have to admit everything. "I've liked you for a little while now. And I learned a long time ago how to get things I want by being nice and flashing a pretty smile. And I turned that on you, Kate. I... I made you like me so we could be closer."

To her surprise, to her horror, Kate began to giggle again. The girl squeezed her hand and looked up at her just as bright and happy as ever. Any of the obvious signs she'd been crying just fifteen minutes prior were gone. "Dana! I... like you too. The stuff you're talking about, I think that's just called flirtation." Her face fell slightly, much to the cheerleader's chagrin. "Against my better judgment I went along with it. I led you on. That's my sin."

This entire day was becoming far, far too confusing. Eventually Dana shook her head, trying to completely clear it of all the extraneous thoughts flying around her head. "Kate, the same goes for you. You haven't done anything wrong. I came to you with a really serious problem and you gave me amazing advice. You stuck with me when the meds the clinic gave me were kicking my ass. And you went to a party just to be there with me! You're awesome and, if I may quote someone important, anyone expecting you to be a saint doesn't know how the real world works."

Kate gave a sharp, embarrassed laugh, nestling her head in against Dana's shoulder. "What about...?" She bit her lip, staring at their linked hands. "I-I'm... I like you. But I'm not a very good liar, and there are a lot of people in my life who will want to know what's going on. Are you prepared to deal with that?"

Dana's brain told her that a situation like that was major trouble. But her thumping heart told her otherwise. She gently planted a kiss on top of Kate's head. "I'll protect you. Look, just a thought, but maybe... this can be one of those personal growth things. Let's... keep the video up. It seems like a handy way of knowing the difference between the people who actually care about us and who's not so nice." She stayed where she was, nuzzling into Kate's hair, just sort of reveling in this moment. "What about you? That's pretty big and scary. Are _you_ up for it?"

Dana watched as Kate pulled out her phone and stared hard at it for a few moments, then suddenly with a determined look on her face, she turned it back on. Shortly after the barrage of messages and missed call notifications popped up, it began ringing, the words "Mom" on the screen. The cheerleader's arm came up instinctively and wrapped around her, offering what little protection she could. Kate flicked to answer the phone and put it up to her ear.

"Hi, mom, I have something to tell you..."


	4. A Rooftop Romance

"I thought it was strange that your comment on the video had been taken down after a few hours. Kate, I'm so proud of you!" She should have known Rachel of all people would be her biggest supporter – excluding Taylor.

Kate was seated on Max's bed, sandwiched between her two girlfriends, Rachel and Chloe. As big a shock as her own relationship status might be, the fact that these three were all dating still seemed strange, even after so many weeks.

Max was on her couch across the room idly tuning her guitar with a little grin. "Seriously, that takes real guts."

"Hella yeah, check out the balls on Kate!"

Kate laughed bashfully, keeping her head down, if only to hide the massive smile on her face hinting at just how delighted she felt. "Hopefully some day my mom will be half as supportive as you guys. She's trying hard, but..."

"That kind of thing just takes time. But it sounds like you've got everything under control, so... Why did you sound so freaked out? What do you need help with?" Max always did have a way of zeroing in on the subject.

"W-We... Um, you know, Dana and I hang out. And stuff. But I think we both want to go out at some point. And I don't know... how?" Kate began to shrink a little between all the looks she was getting. No one was necessarily being judgmental, but they did all seem confused. She couldn't blame them, the video that started this mess was taken at a Vortex party. So clearly Kate had at least some small idea of what she was doing. "So I was just hoping you all had some ideas or suggestions..."

She felt Rachel's comforting hand resting against her back. "Of course, sweetie, anything you need."

"Luckily, this is you and Dana we're talking about! You guys could do practically anything and you'd enjoy yourselves. And each other~" Chloe's comment, not to mention her little wink, absolutely did not put Kate at ease. Unlike her friends, she had almost zero confidence. It was undeniable that Dana liked her, that was obvious. But as far as she was concerned, it would only take one wrong move to completely destroy this marvelous opportunity.

After a moment of nervous silence, she sighed, staring at the floor. "I appreciate your support, but I'm so lost here. Dana is cool and nice and Vortex and a cheerleader! Anything we do, she's already done something better and more exciting!"

Across the room, Max seemed satisfied with the tune on her guitar, strumming a bright chord before setting the instrument aside. Her work accomplished, she strolled across the room and settled herself happily in Chloe's lap. "Theeennnn... don't worry about being exciting. Be sweet, be yourself. That's why she's on board the Kate train in the first place!" Goodness, Max's relationship certainly did make her more confident. And the advice felt more useful.

"That makes a lot of sense. Chloe, can I ask you to do something... um... delinquent for me?"

That playful grin she got was contagious, and even Max and Rachel were catching it. After all, who would have thought darling little Kate would ever make a request like that? "Kate, you should know by now, that's the only kind of something I do."

* * *

"Oh my god, Katie, slow down, please! We have all afternoon!" Dana was giggling brightly as Kate dragged her toward the stairwell. She caught on rather quickly that the two of them were headed up, not down. "Wha-?"

Kate was prepared for her confusion. "It's alright, just come on~!" Kate was giggling too, and just judging by how much fun it was to surprise Dana with a random date, this was already off to a great start! She hurried with Dana up, up, up and through the door onto the roof of the Prescott Dormitories. There in the bright sunlight was a blanket laid out and a wicker basket. Dana gasped and pulled Kate in a little closer, kissing her cheek excitedly.

With gently linked hands, the two wandered over and set themselves down on top of the blanket. "This is probably some of the last amazing weather we're going to get around here before that notorious northwestern late-fall weather sets in." As she spoke, Kate flipped open the picnic basket and started removing various things – pasta salad, chicken salad sandwiches, brownies, all food that she knew Dana liked. The soft cooing she heard was delightful, it sent a shiver along her spine.

For some time, they sat together, eating their lunch and talking. They discussed classes, music, movies, plans, hopes, dreams. Occasionally Dana would lift up a piece of food to Kate's mouth, and with cheeks as red as can be she would take it between her lips, which would occasionally graze her fingertip in turn. It was completely unintentional, but it happened regardless of intent.

"I-I was... really worried about this. About having an actual date," Kate confessed, unsure why she was being so honest.

Dana's mouth was currently full of a sizable chunk of brownie, leading to a good ten seconds or so of adorable fumbling as she tried and failed to chew faster. "Seriously?" She seemed to realize a moment too late that this sounded a bit rude. "I-I mean... You know I'm crazy about you, right? This is marvelous. Going to the movies would be marvelous. Dragging me to church would be marvelous. I just want to be around you. The details are secondary." Kate was pulled into a kiss. It tasted like chocolate.

With full bellies, the two reclined comfortably across the blanket, hands gently linked. As it turned out, the cheerleader had a bit of a soft-spot for cloud-watching.

"No no, you gotta like... Kinda tilt your head to the right a little. It's Alice! That bit there is her floppy little ears. There's even a small break right there where her eye patch is!" So far the two had been mostly on the same page as to what the various forms in the sky were. But somehow Dana was having trouble seeing what Kate saw.

So perhaps it shouldn't have been a surprise when Dana shifted over, as if to get a better image from the other girl's vantage point. It was a surprise, however, when Dana flipped up and over top of her, straddling her, kissing her more – forcefully this time, not that she minded. Dana's lips were softer than clouds.

True to form, Kate did eventually interrupt the proceedings for one more thing. Excitedly she got up and ran over a few feet away, taking her violin from its case. She serenaded Dana with a few pieces she knew she wouldn't screw up, each time earning herself an uproarious round of applause. Unknown to Kate, Dana's favorite part was watching her get more and more into a given number until she was practically dancing along, her hips swaying just so. No one had ever seen this side of Kate, and that delighted her.

Still, a blanket on a chilly rooftop wasn't nearly as comfortable as a warm bed. The two eventually made their way back down to Kate's room for some idle snuggling.

There was a funny look on Dana's face and Kate stared back at her quizzically for a moment. "What is it?"

"Well, the picnic, the cloud-watching, the music. That all screams 'Kate Marsh'. But... the door to the roof is supposed to be locked..."

Dana's tone was scolding, but in a playful kind of way. Unfortunately, Kate didn't exactly have the kind of personality required to pick up on why that could be a fun thing. Flirtation was not one of her stronger suits. "It was a first for me. I was asking Max, Chloe, and Rachel for a little... help. And it just popped into my head! Something special, different, maybe a touch dangerous, but only insofar as I might get a quick scolding."

Dana got a decent giggle out of that, nuzzling into Kate gently. "Oh my god, you are so precious, I can't stand it!"

"Yeah, well, it's easier with someone as sweet as you..." Kate burrowed slightly, trying to hide her mild embarrassment. This was all so new – being in love, dating, dating a girl, dating a girl as amazing as her, the list seemed to go on forever. And yet her befuddlement only made Dana like her all the more.

Life could be very confusing. And wonderful.


End file.
